Thanks for the suggestion, but I want to leave ASAP just because two years in my home town has already been long enough. I figure a summer in China, even if not for good pay, would be better than the same old thing at home. When I say ASAP, I mean about 2 months. I wouldnt want to jump into this either. I just really dont want to wait any longer than that.

I have been thinking about this for a long time, longer than 4-5 months. And some of the decisions as to my preferences, I'm really not going to know the answer to until after Ive tried them for myself-- such as what type of place Id like to teach, children or adults etc. I definitely take the advice I get here though, and think that a uni would be the least stressful job, which I'm definitely looking for. I'm just wondering if I could get short term work before the uni school year starts.

If Mayberry USA is too small and Barney Fyfe is up your nose (and you are under 30) go to NZ or Oz on a working holiday for a few months.
The autumn harvest jobs are probably past their best but a phone call to a contractor will sort that out. And they speak English - or at least the Kiwis do.

And some of the decisions as to my preferences, I'm really not going to know the answer to until after Ive tried them for myself-- such as what type of place Id like to teach, children or adults etc. .

There is some truth to that .. a lot of people might chastise my advice by saying 'how can someone know until they've tried it?'.

The thing is though dude, it can be a pretty hard life for some people. A lot of people find it waaaay too far out of the comfort zone and crash and burn quickly. You have to remember you are moving to a country where you dont know anyone, cant speak the language, and have to adjust to lifestyle, food and culture. And at the same time as having all that on your plate, you have to learn to do a job you've never done before, possibly without anyone to guide you, and without the benefit of any substantial training. Its quite a big ask. Sure, most of us love it ... but a significant number of people just cant cope.

So I always think, when possible, you have to have all your ducks lined up as best as you can. Because you may find it hard and lonely and be unhappy ... and that will all be compounded if you choose to work with an age group you hate, in a city you hate living in, with a climate you cant cope with. And some of those things you can make a decision about now.

I know I dont want to teach young kids ever. I dont like big cities at all. I really dont want to live in a place that has seriously cold and long winters. I wont live in a place that has a lot of pollution. I do want to be in a job where I have lots of work-mates to buddy up with. I dont want to work evenings or weekends, I do want lots of contact time with my students. If I get a job that fits these things, Ill probably be able to cope even if it sucks.

And some of these things you can decide upon long before, or at least make very educated guesses.

Denim--
There are definitely preferences that I already have, and they are the biggest factors in my job search, such as, working 5 days a week - 2 days in a row off. I have it narrowed down to a few cities: Hangzhou, Chengdu, or others that are similar. I think I would prefer working at a university, although I am considering training centers. I feel like I would be less nervous teaching kids at first, but have never taught adults before and don;t know what it's like. I know that they would be more motivated to learn, would know what they want, and how to ask for it, so it could actually be better to teach adults, but I don't know yet.

The recruiter just got back to me and told me that they would get the Z visa for me and it would take 6 weeks. She gave me a form to take to my doctor, and wants me to send it back to her filled out. I would get the visa from the Chinese embassy in America. Does it seem more legit now? Does 5500 RMB in Chengdu plus a free apartment, for 25 teaching hours a week sound reasonable, or is it too low?

I only got this far in the forum reading.
You asked if 5500 rmb seems to low?
I think your maybe rushing and skipping over part of the process that you need to slow down and pay attention to.
I feel and have been told you should not get on the plane without a working visa.
Usually the visa will get sent to you by DHL if they are serious about you.
5500rmb seems to low.
It seems so low that I feel your being taken by the recruiter or whoever is sending you job info.
If you want something quick and easy I think theres programs out there that will let you volunteer.
Sometimes its better to not get paid if the pay is that low.